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Former NFL QB Bob Lee Dies at 81

8/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Former NFL quarterback Bob Lee died on Aug. 17 at age 81 in San Francisco.
The Vikings selected Lee in the 17th round of the 1968 NFL Draft, 441st overall.
Lee won an NFL championship as a rookie with Minnesota in 1969, the franchise’s only title.
He threw the Vikings’ last Super Bowl touchdown, a 14-yard pass in 1977 against the Raiders.

History

Historical Context

In 1969 the Minnesota Vikings, coached by Bud Grant, posted a league-best 12–2 record and defeated the Cleveland Browns 27–7 to win the NFL Championship, the franchise’s only pre-Super Bowl title. That victory capped a decade in which the “Purple People Eaters” defense dominated and earned the team its first Ed Thorp Trophy, a milestone still recalled as the golden era of Minnesota football.

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Story summary

Former NFL quarterback Bob Lee died on Aug. 17 at age 81 in San Francisco.
The Vikings selected Lee in the 17th round of the 1968 NFL Draft, 441st overall.
Lee won an NFL championship as a rookie with Minnesota in 1969, the franchise’s only title.
He threw the Vikings’ last Super Bowl touchdown, a 14-yard pass in 1977 against the Raiders.

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